20 ways to grow my PLN

Personal Learning Network

Having a Personal Learning Network is vital to my career. Networking is a prime form of 21st century learning and the world is much smaller thanks to technology.  I have a diverse set of options at my disposal to learn and collaborate. Right here at Babson I have a professional network that allows me to both share discoveries and learn from my colleagues. Other opportunities are NERCOMP, Educause, ELI, NMC, and many more...

Why? Learning networks are based on the theory of connectivism, or learning from diverse social webs.  Connectivism implies that learning relies on communicating ideas with others.  PLNs facilitate learning through meaningful interactions.  The advantages of PLNs today are two-fold.  In one way, they can improve my skills as an instructional technologist and help me develop new projects. On the other hand, they act as a form of communal intelligence that grows the field and the players. Great article from te@chthought on 20 Ways to Improve Your Professional Learning Network.

Google Blogger for Faculty Websites

A faculty website can be created using Google Blogger.This may be a good choice for faculty because of it's ease of use, customizability and because it's a Google product it easily integrates with other Google services such as Google Docs, Google+, Google Analytics and Picasa. This free authoring environment can provide faculty a venue for posting a Homepage, Curriculum Vitae, Publications, Research, Teaching and News or Links to external websites.